Dezerai: Exeter’s Ambassador for Good
Dezerai A. is the Associate Restaurant Manager of Summerwood’s only KFC/Taco Bell in Pennsylvania on Perkiomen Avenue in Exeter. She doubles as the location’s KFC Foundation “ambassador,” a role she views as equally important.
According to Dezerai, each KFC location throughout the U.S. selects its own ambassador. In Dezerai’s case, she approached her manager a few years ago and told him how passionate she is about the role and its potential impact, and that she wanted to be responsible for their team’s participation.
Dezerai and her team alone have raised more than $40,000 for Round Up!
It hasn’t been hard getting Exeter’s “Team X” behind Round Up.
“It’s all about giving back to their employees,” she says, mentioning the Foundation’s numerous buckets of support: the crisis hotline, hardship assistance program, GED support, tuition-free college through Western Governors University (WGU) and scholarships.
RALLY FOR ROUND UP
Ambassadors serve as liaisons between KFC restaurants and the Foundation for purposes of Round Up fundraising at the cash register. Dezerai’s key responsibilities:
- Track Round Up campaign dates;
- Motivate and rally her restaurant team;
- Make sure Round Up remains a part of weekly team conversation.
“You have to stay motivated to rally the team,” she says. “You set a personal goal for your store … and keep that motivation going.”
THREE TIMES A CHARM IN 2024
KFC Foundation ambassadors are notified of the Round Up fundraising schedule at the start of each year. For 2024, Dezerai says there are three fundraising periods. We’re nearing the end of the first campaign of the year, which started in January.
Team X has already pulled in $5,000!
“It’s almost just natural to ask, ‘Would you like to round up to the Foundation?’” Dezerai says of getting the “ask” to become habitual. Along with regular reminders, team members also receive a prompt on the register screen during active campaign periods. In addition, a portion of proceeds from every purchase of KFC’s Secret Recipe Fries goes toward Exeter’s Round Up totals.
“My team is very engaged in this,” she continues. “We usually always lead the way.”
She says Team X has ranked No. 11 out of 3,700 KFCs in previous years!
SECRETLY AMAZING!
Dezerai was surprised to hear that she and her team have helped raise more than $40,000 for KFC Foundation since she became an ambassador.
“Makes me feel great because the team thinks it’s great, too,” she quips.
She continues, “I feel like in general, it helps the community understand that big corporations still care … the Foundation is all about giving back and bettering the community.”
“Round Up changes lives.” – Dezerai A., Associate Manager
In addition to the thoughtful programs benefitting KFC team members, the Foundation also offers grants to nonprofits (each location can nominate organizations) and has a donation matching program to support team members’ charitable donations from their paychecks.
There’s a lot of negativity in the world that we can’t change, which Dezerai acknowledges. Being an ambassador has given her something positive to focus on every single day.
“I think it’s helped me be a better, more passionate person,” she shares. “We just never know how much of an impact we’re truly having on some of these people.”
And that’s what it’s all about! At Summerwood, we want to help make people’s lives better.
“You genuinely feel like the company wants to grow, wants their people to become the best version of themselves,” Dezerai says. Coming from someone who’s been with our company for nearly seven years, that says something.
We’re always looking for people with passion to fill our restaurants. Apply today!